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Blue Mountain catchfly, Robinson's catchfly, stem campion

Parish's campion, Parish's catchfly

Habit Plants perennial, subscapose, cespitose; taproot stout; caudex branched, woody. Plants perennial; taproot stout; caudex much-branched, woody.
Stems

several, erect, simple, 15–50 cm, puberulent, viscid-glandular distally.

many, decumbent to erect, usually simple, 10–40 cm, woody, pilose and glandular (rarely eglandular proximally).

Leaves

mostly basal;

basal marcescent, long-petiolate, densely tufted, blade 1-veined, narrowly oblanceolate, 2–10(–20) cm × 2–12(–20) mm, not fleshy, base tapering to petiole, apex acute to obtuse, finely puberulent on both surfaces;

cauline in 1–3 pairs, sessile, much reduced, blade linear-lanceolate, not fleshy.

in 5–8 pairs, sessile but proximal ones narrowed into pseudopetiole, largest in mid-stem region, reduced proximally, scalelike at base, blade narrowly lanceolate to oblanceolate-elliptic or obovate, 2–6 cm × 3–20 mm, apex acute and acuminate, usually thick, leathery, densely puberulent and viscid-glandular or eglandular.

Inflorescences

1–5(–7)-flowered, with terminal flower and lateral, open, pedunculate cymes often reduced to single flowers, bracteate;

bracts narrowly lanceolate, 3–10(–20) mm.

cymose, open or congested, 3–15(–30)-flowered, sometimes compound, leafy.

Pedicels

erect, elongate, 0.5–4.5 cm, glandular-puberulent.

to 1(–1.5) cm, shortly pilose, viscid-glandular, flowers sometimes sessile.

Flowers

calyx prominently 10-veined, those to lobes lance-shaped broadened and thickened distally, commissural veins slender, not forked distally, campanulate, 10–12 × 3.5–5 mm in flower, enlarging to 15 × 10 mm in fruit, not contracted around carpophore, papery, margins dentate, glandular-pubescent, viscid, veins parallel, with pale commissures, lobes patent, ovate, 1.5–4 mm, rigid, margins broad, membranous;

corolla off-white to dingy purple-red, clawed, claw exceeding calyx, ciliate proximally, broadened distally, limbs erect, 2–4-lobed, less than 1/2 length of calyx, lobes 2–5 mm, appendages 2–4, 0.5–1 mm;

stamens slightly exserted;

filaments lanate, expanded at base;

styles 3–5, ± equaling calyx.

calyx prominently 10-veined, tubular, clavate in fruit, constricted proximally around carpophore, (20–)25–30 × 4–7 mm, papery, densely glandular-puberulent, viscid, veins parallel, green, with pale commissures, lobes narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, 5–8 mm, herbaceous;

corolla pale greenish yellow to white, clawed, claw equaling calyx, ligulate, as broad as limb, limb 7–8 mm, deeply laciniate into 6 or more linear lobes, appendages oblong, laciniate, 2 mm;

stamens equaling calyx;

styles 3, exserted.

Capsules

slightly longer than calyx, opening by 3–5 teeth;

carpophore 1.5–2.5 mm.

equaling calyx, opening by 6 ascending teeth;

carpophore ca. 3 mm.

Seeds

brown, reniform, 1.2–2 mm, margins with large, inflated papillae, rugose on sides.

brown, reniform, 1.5–2 mm, margins papillate;

papillae large, inflated.

2n

= 48.

= 48.

Silene scaposa

Silene parishii

Phenology Flowering early summer. Flowering spring and summer.
Habitat Subalpine grassy, gravelly, or rocky slopes, ponderosa pine forests, juniper scrub, sagebrush Rocky ledges and slopes, stream banks, open coniferous woodlands
Elevation 900-3000 m (3000-9800 ft) 1400-3400 m (4600-11200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; ID; NV; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Silene scaposa is a very distinct species with its subscapose inflorescence, coronalike ring of short petals, and distended fruiting calyx in which the veins to the lobes are markedly broadened and lanceolate. Variation in lobing of the corolla has been the basis for recognizing two varieties: var. scaposa (var. typica C. L. Hitchcock & Maguire), which has two-lobed petals, and var. lobata, which has four-lobed petals. However, these differences appear to be of little significance.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Silene parishii varies considerably in pubescence and leaf shape. C. L. Hitchcock and B. Maguire (1947) recognized three varieties on the basis of this variation. However, the characters vary independently and have only a weak geographical correlation. Hence recognition of the three varieties serves little useful purpose.

Silene parishii is confined to the mountains of southern California.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 5, p. 202. FNA vol. 5, p. 197.
Parent taxa Caryophyllaceae > subfam. Caryophylloideae > Silene Caryophyllaceae > subfam. Caryophylloideae > Silene
Sibling taxa
S. acaulis, S. antirrhina, S. aperta, S. armeria, S. bernardina, S. bridgesii, S. campanulata, S. caroliniana, S. chalcedonica, S. conica, S. coniflora, S. conoidea, S. coronaria, S. csereii, S. dichotoma, S. dioica, S. douglasii, S. drummondii, S. flos-cuculi, S. gallica, S. grayi, S. hitchguirei, S. hookeri, S. invisa, S. involucrata, S. kingii, S. laciniata, S. latifolia, S. lemmonii, S. marmorensis, S. menziesii, S. nachlingerae, S. nivea, S. noctiflora, S. nuda, S. occidentalis, S. oregana, S. ostenfeldii, S. ovata, S. parishii, S. parryi, S. pendula, S. petersonii, S. plankii, S. polypetala, S. pseudatocion, S. rectiramea, S. regia, S. repens, S. rotundifolia, S. sargentii, S. scouleri, S. seelyi, S. serpentinicola, S. sibirica, S. sorensenis, S. spaldingii, S. stellata, S. subciliata, S. suecica, S. suksdorfii, S. thurberi, S. uralensis, S. verecunda, S. virginica, S. viscaria, S. vulgaris, S. williamsii, S. wrightii
S. acaulis, S. antirrhina, S. aperta, S. armeria, S. bernardina, S. bridgesii, S. campanulata, S. caroliniana, S. chalcedonica, S. conica, S. coniflora, S. conoidea, S. coronaria, S. csereii, S. dichotoma, S. dioica, S. douglasii, S. drummondii, S. flos-cuculi, S. gallica, S. grayi, S. hitchguirei, S. hookeri, S. invisa, S. involucrata, S. kingii, S. laciniata, S. latifolia, S. lemmonii, S. marmorensis, S. menziesii, S. nachlingerae, S. nivea, S. noctiflora, S. nuda, S. occidentalis, S. oregana, S. ostenfeldii, S. ovata, S. parryi, S. pendula, S. petersonii, S. plankii, S. polypetala, S. pseudatocion, S. rectiramea, S. regia, S. repens, S. rotundifolia, S. sargentii, S. scaposa, S. scouleri, S. seelyi, S. serpentinicola, S. sibirica, S. sorensenis, S. spaldingii, S. stellata, S. subciliata, S. suecica, S. suksdorfii, S. thurberi, S. uralensis, S. verecunda, S. virginica, S. viscaria, S. vulgaris, S. williamsii, S. wrightii
Synonyms S. scaposa var. lobata S. parishii var. latifolia, S. parishii var. viscida
Name authority B. L. Robinson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 28: 145. (1893) S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 17: 366. (1882)
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